A message to the politicians who continue to ignore the plight of Americans

Put America, Not Foreign Countries, First

By: U.S. Senator Rand Paul

I met a man from Hazard the other day who had lost his job in the mines, and I asked him, “Should we spend $350 million buying F-16s for Pakistan?” The sad look of the unemployed yet proud Kentuckian turned to anger at the thought that his country valued planes for Pakistan more than its own citizens.

I met a woman from Sturgis the other day who worried that her job at the coal company would be lost. I asked her, “Should we send millions of dollars in arms to Saudis who will not let Americans carry a Bible in their country?” Her worry turned to fury as she contemplated the billions of dollars wasted on these haters of America.

If Washington politicians would ever travel through the rest of America, they might discover that we have needs at home and our anger is with an elite political class who seem to value foreign countries over our own.I am currently blocking the sale of F-16s to Pakistan and I will force the Senate to vote to override my objections. I will do everything possible to stop American tax dollars from subsidizing a country that puts Christians to death if they criticize the state religion.

Asia Bibi sits on death row in Pakistan accused by gossips in her village of criticizing the state religion. It all began when she went to draw water from a well in her village. The women of the village began to stone her and beat her with sticks. They screamed at her as they dragged her to the ground: "Death, death to the Christian!" She thought she was saved when the police arrived, only to find that she was under arrest for blasphemy. Since that time she has been imprisoned awaiting the death penalty.

Two years ago I tried to stop aid to countries that persecute Christians, and the Senate looked the other way and voted to continue sending money to these brutal regimes.

The time has come for Americans, particularly those who suffer from this president’s War on Coal to rise up and shout, "No More!" No more welfare for foreign countries. No more arms to countries that persecute Christians. Not when our own people are struggling.

A message to the politicians who continue to ignore the plight of Americans: Fix what ails us here at home or beware the wrath of the angry voter.